Van Gerwen Survives Greaves Scare As Littler Wins

4 hours ago

Michael van Gerwen overcame Beau Greaves successful a thriller arsenic reigning champion Luke Littler opened his Grand Slam of Darts title defence pinch a victory.

Three-time world champion Van Gerwen looked to beryllium cruising to a triumph astatine 4-2 successful Wolverhampton, only for 21-year-old Greaves to triumph back-to-back legs to return nan lucifer to a decider.

Doncaster's Greaves had 3 darts to return retired 52 for triumph but could not finish, earlier Van Gerwen saw retired nan match.

Greaves, who beat Luke Littler successful October to go nan first female to scope nan World Youth Championship final, must now hit erstwhile champion Gary Anderson connected Sunday to enactment successful nan competition.

It was smoother sailing for Littler, 18, arsenic he continued his 100% grounds astatine nan tourney pinch a 5-1 triumph against Karel Sedlacek.

The world number two, a victor connected his debut successful 2024, was disappointment by dropping a azygous leg.

"I was evidently looking for nan whitewash," said Littler.

"I conscionable thought to myself, erstwhile I mislaid nan bull, you've sewage to get disconnected to a speedy start. Anyone has to - it's only first to five. That's what I've done. But yeah, not nan champion that I dropped nan leg."

Littler is aiming to return Luke Humphries' spot astatine nan apical of nan rankings by nan year's end, but nan world number 1 made an emphatic commencement to his bid for a 2nd Grand Slam of Darts title arsenic he breezed past Alex Spellman.

The 30-year-old deed 2 maximums arsenic he completed a straightforward 5-0 victory, helping him to nan apical of Group A aft Michael Smith's 5-3 triumph against Nathan Aspinall.

Elsewhere, Gerwyn Price was beaten by Rickey Evans, Wessel Nijman overcame Josh Rock and Stefan Bellmont hit James Wade.

All 32 players featured connected nan opening time of nan round-robin group shape successful Wolverhampton, pinch nan time evenly divided betwixt 2 sessions.

Daryl Gurney 4-5 Connor Scutt

Martin Schindler 2-5 Luke Woodhouse

Nathan Aspinall 3-5 Michael Smith

Gary Anderson 3-5 Niko Springer

Luke Humphries 5-0 Alex Spellman

Luke Littler 5-1 Karel Sedlacek

Michael van Gerwen 5-4 Beau Greaves

Stephen Bunting 4-5 Alexis Toylo

Danny Noppert 5-4 Lukas Wenig

Damon Heta 5-1 Martin Lukeman

Chris Dobey 5-1 Jurjen van der Velde

Ricky Evans 5-4 Gerwyn Price